Molecular hydrogen, H2, has been examined as a possible alternative fuel source. Unfortunately, molecular hydrogen also has numerous drawbacks which have prevented its wide scale use as a fuel. One such disadvantage is the gaseous state of molecular hydrogen. Hydrogen gas is exceptionally difficult to store and transport. The prior art is replete with attempts to design simple, inexpensive hydrogen storage devices to address this need. These attempts include U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,606 to Hunter (Hydrogen Storage System); U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,453 to Anderson (Ultrafine Hydrogen Storage Powders); U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,052 to Kiyokawa (Hydrogen Storage Material); U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,077 to Bradley (Hydrogen Storage in Nanostructure with Physisorption); U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,792 to Schulz (Nanocrystaline Composite for Hydrogen Storage); U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,951 to Rodriguez (Storage of Hydrogen in Layered Nanostructures); and the like. The content of each of the aforementioned patents is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
An article by Angela Lueking and Ralph Yang also discusses the need to develop hydrogen storage devices. “An efficient storage media for hydrogen is desirable for the widespread application of fuel cells and the adoption of hydrogen as an energy source. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has set a target of 6.5% by weight for hydrogen storage for new adsorbent materials. Although several metal hydrides are capable of meeting this target, the high desorption temperatures and slow desorption rates limit the widespread application of current metal hydrides. Recent advantages in carbon nanotechnology have been of interest to chemical engineers, as the development, large-scale production, purification, handling and uses of carbon nanofibers will require fundamental chemical engineering principles . . . . Carbon nanofibers, including single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), multiwall nanotubes (MWNTs), and graphite nanofibers (GNF), have shown promise for applications in hydrogen storage due to the electronic nature resulting of sp2 hybridization, large surface areas, and molecular sized pores.” (Fuel Cell Today [online], [retrieved on Jul. 9, 2004]. Retrieved from the Internet <URL: http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/FuelCellToday/IndustryInformation/IndustryInformation External/NewsDisplayArticle/0,1602,3159,00.html>).
It is an object of this invention to provide a hydrogen storage device comprised of halloysite rods.